Unpacking the complexity of immigrant stereotypes: Perceptions of Nigerian immigrants in the US depend on between-country versus within-country framing

International Journal of Intercultural Relations. 2025. Vol. 108. Article 102261.

Komyaginskaya E., Gallyamova A., Conway L. G., Grigoryev D.

This study explores how immigrant stereotypes and prejudice are influenced by two types of status comparisons: a group’s country of origin (between-country) and its position within the host nation (within-country). Focusing on Nigerian immigrants in the US, we draw on the Stereotype Content Model to assess perceptions of warmth and competence, alongside established prejudice measures (social distance and feeling thermometer). A total of 516 US citizens completed an online, between-subjects experiment in one of four conditions: (1) Control (no information), (2) Between-Country (emphasizing Nigeria’s economic disadvantages relative to the US), (3) Within-Country (highlighting Nigerian immigrants’ socioeconomic success within the US), or (4) Combined (providing both sets of information). Participants exposed to Nigeria’s lower economic standing reported higher prejudice and rated Nigerian immigrants as lower in warmth and competence. Conversely, information about Nigerian immigrants’ strong socioeconomic position in the US led to more favorable views, mitigating the negative effects of the between-country frame. These findings underscore how specific informational contexts significantly shape both stereotypes and prejudice, offering practical avenues for reducing intergroup bias. We situate these results within cross-categorization theories and emergent attribute perspectives, showing that global and local status cues jointly shape societal perceptions of immigrant groups.

Keywords: social cognition, immigration, stereotype content model, ethnic stereotypes, intergroup bias, North-South divide

Publication based on the results of: Model of Legal Overcoming of Inequality (2025)